


Never Bored With You

by followingtheheartlines



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adult Damian Wayne, Adult Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - College/University, F/M, Gotham City - Freeform, Gotham University, Hawkmoth Defeat
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-19
Updated: 2020-05-19
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:54:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,132
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24276181
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/followingtheheartlines/pseuds/followingtheheartlines
Summary: After defeating Hawkmoth with her best friend Adrien, Marinette graduates from lycée and tries to put her past behind her.She decides to study fashion in Paris but when she's offered a place at Gotham University for a year she jumps at the chance.Little does she know that it's there she'll meet the love of her life - after spilling coffee all over him of course....The story of how Marinette and Damian meet, fall in love, save the world and finally let their murky pasts go.
Relationships: Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug/Damian Wayne
Comments: 18
Kudos: 239





	Never Bored With You

**Author's Note:**

> So just a quick preface here: this is my first fic in about six years. The Batfam has been a love of mine for far too long at this point but I’ve never felt comfortable posting anything until now when I saw this pairing and I was just like oh my god YES
> 
> I’m not really involved with either fandom at this point, as it’s been years since I’ve had time to be involved, and I’ve only just started to watch ML – so thank you for the inspiration.

Carefully shoving open the heavy Gotham University doors, Marinette stepped out into the grimy city air and breathed it in with a smile.

The dark-haired young woman was ecstatic after receiving the results of her latest assignment and couldn’t wait to share the good news with her roommate.

She had spent months putting together her final design of the semester – a wedding dress design so complex that her fingers had bled after sewing thousands of individual beads into the thick fabric by hand.

Still even the countless sleepless nights and sketchy runs back to her dorm were worth it to see the impressed look on her lecturers face.

After running down the dramatic stone steps, she quickly started to make her way back to her dorm so she could call her Maman and Papa.

She heard a small giggle from her bag as Tikki appreciated the frantic energy of her sleep-deprived holder.

Marinette pulled her phone out attempting to type out a short message to Adrien telling him the good news. In the middle of her second word she halted suddenly holding her head after running into a hard surface.

She looked up and blushed bright red realising she had bulldozed straight into a broad back.

“Oh merde! I’m so sorry!” Marinette apologised profusely. She felt her face twist in horror as the handsome man she bumped into turned around revealing a half-empty coffee cup and a sleek smartphone that she could faintly hear someone talking down.

“Damian you there?” The voice called.

Without breaking eye contact with her, the young man, Damian, spoke down the phone.

“Grayson, I’ll call you back.” He hung up without listening to the protests from the other man.

Marinette could feel her blush spreading down her neck at the attention.

“I am so sorry! I wasn’t watching where I was going, is there anything I can do? Can I buy you a replacement coffee?” She looked up at the tall man and realised that he was around the same age as her.

She froze taking in his features. His emerald green eyes were narrowed in surprise, popping against the copper colour of his skin and the square line of his jaw.

Marinette nearly swooned as the man nodded, once, sharply.

“That would be acceptable.” He agreed, throwing his empty cup into a nearby bin.

Marinette felt her shoulders drop in relief as she started to move again.

She makes a face as she thinks of a way to break the silence.

“I’m so sorry, all of my friends make fun of me for my clumsiness but this has been a first I have to say!” She babbled nervously, gesturing for Damian to follow her. “I just received feedback for coursework and was distracted and I was clearly not paying enough attention.”

 _Smooth Bugaboo,_ a voice that sounds suspiciously like Chat sings in her ear, _Real smooth._

The man was just looking at her intensely, as though she had said something odd.

She cleared her throat awkwardly and held out her hand.

“My name’s Marinette—what’s yours?”

The man quickly seemed to snap out of his mood and offered her a polite grimace and his hand.

“Tt. I’m Damian, apologies for my rudeness. You caught me off guard,” he released her hand, “I also just received feedback this afternoon – though it doesn’t seem to be as positive as yours.”

They continued their walk through the campus which was awash with greenery as spring turned into summer.

The dark oak trees that surrounded the appropriately gothic university helped frame the industrial buildings from the city that were stretching toward the sky. The contrast of old and new was something that she appreciated deeply for its beauty and contrast – it had provided endless inspiration for the young designer.

“Oh, what do you study?” Marinette asked politely, focusing on the conversation again.

“I’m majoring in business with a minor in painting. How about yourself?” Damian seemed to relax into the topic.

The Ladybug blushed again. “I have no idea what that means, but it sounds challenging. I’m on a year abroad from France, I study textiles and fashion design,” she sighed happily, “though I do have to say I prefer the course here, it’s much more hands on.”

He nodded in understanding, “Yes, it can be a challenge but I enjoy that. I do agree though,” he glanced at her briefly, “I much prefer getting hands on with a problem rather than theorising about it.”

His lips tilted downward in displeasure. “Despite my preference I decided it would be better for my future to study business first. I was encouraged to keep up with my art however, hence why I’m double majoring.”

Marinette felt herself nodding along in agreement. It was a wise decision and not one she could have made – she felt her respect for Damian grow.

Carefully taking his elbow, she spotted her favourite coffee shop ahead and began to steer the tall man toward it.

The Coffee Neuk was a cosy family-run establishment full of worn chairs and reading spaces. She found it early into her Gotham adventure and had been a loyal customer ever since.

She even occasionally babysat for the owner as she dealt with deliveries or late finishes.

Marinette spied a group of giggling sorority sisters eyeing Damian like a piece of meat though he seemed to take no mind.

She could only shake her head and respond to him.

“I understand that conflict well. My parents run a bakery back in France and I took an online course over the summer before university to understand the basics in case I ever end up taking over.” She paused, pleasantly surprise as he held the door open for her, smiling at him in thanks.

The cool air of the café greets them, and the soft fairy lights and eclectic furniture immediately helped Marinette relax.

She waves at the plump redheaded woman behind the counter, who finishes up with her customer and slides over to the pair.

“Bonjour Kayleigh, how’s the rascal this afternoon?” Marinette greets her sometime-employer warmly.

“She’s well, with her dad for the weekend which gives me a breather.” Kayleigh chuckles. “A medium mocha for the lovely lady and and for yourself sir?” The woman asks politely. 

Damian’s eyes scan the menu quickly. “Just a latte please.”

“Coming right up! Go have a seat and I’ll get your drinks over to you.”

Marinette rushes to add they were grabbing the drinks to go but Damian interrupts.

“Thank you.” he says to Kayleigh before turning to her, standing there with her mouth open. “Would you mind staying for a little while?”

Marinette looks at him intently, searching for an explanation in his eyes. She can’t tell what the man is thinking so instead she allows a bubble of hope to well up inside of her. 

It has been a long time since she has taken interest in a boy – or had one take interest in her – and she was hoping that maybe, that was on Damian’s mind.

She hadn’t been in a relationship since she and Adrien attempted to date years ago.

Their abject failure at being romantic with one another led to a stronger friendship however, so it would never be something she’d regret. The best friends now laughed about it, especially since Adrien and Kagami got engaged.

A smile stretches across Marinette’s face.

“That sounds wonderful actually. I feel like haven’t stopped all week.” She slides her bag off her shoulder, gently placing it on the arm of the couch so she doesn’t disturb her slumbering Kwami.

She slides her vintage coat off, suddenly feeling self-conscious – her ratty flare jeans and oversized graphic t-shirt didn’t hold a candle to the nearly entirely designer outfit her coffee date was wearing.

Marinette hadn’t taken the time to examine his outfit before – no doubt it would have ended up with her tripping and falling.

Damian dressed well. His dark jeans looked expensive, clinging to his thighs and the dark grey turtleneck he wore was almost certainly cashmere – not to mention the leather jacket that was draped casually across the broad lines of his shoulders.

And did she spot a gold chain around his neck? Marinette tried to control her drooling – she was twenty, not twelve.

Damian slides onto the couch next to her and pauses briefly. His eyes flicker down, unsure. She makes note of the chink in his armour: it was the first sign she had seen from him that he was less that confident.

“I struggle speaking with people my own age at times,” he seems annoyed at the fact, “and your presence is…appreciated. I struggle with my peers sometimes and my last assignment – I was marked down by my group for my attitude despite doing most of the work.”

He has a scowl plastered across his chiselled face, highlighting the shadows dancing across his brown skin.

Marinette looks at him and tilts her head. “What was the problem then?”

He scoffs. “Tt, they were slow and lazy. I could complete my section of the project by our agreed times but they couldn’t,” he lets out a huff, “but I had to hand in my section before they did for a business trip so I completed their sections and handed in a different final version – which was far superior.”

He starts to take off his jacket revealing broad arms, just as the coffee arrives. Marinette smiles at Kayleigh’s approach and opens her mouth to protest when she also places down a plate of cookies.

“That’s for taking care of Isla the other night when I know you were busy.” She brushes a fond hand over the dark-haired girls’ shoulder, then returns to the till.

Marinette shakes her head in exasperation but steals a bite of a cookie as her coffee cools.

She meets Damian’s eyes and steels herself a little. Had she not been so acquainted with notable figures through her life she likely wouldn’t have been able to say anything as bold as she was about to. 

“I think…” he perks up and meets her gaze, as she rushes to finish her sentence, “that you might be a little intimidating for your classmates to work with comfortably.”

She watches as his eyebrows raise in confusion, turning to face her almost fully.

“What?” he demands leaning forward to grab his cup.

She sighed, “Damian I have known you for less than half-an-hour. You’re tall, dark and handsome,” Marinette feels heat in her cheeks as he blinks, surprised, “not to mention you clearly have wealth and influence if you can skip class for a business trip.”

She continues, “You’re a scary guy, clearly, and they don’t know how to approach you and it probably doesn’t help if you spend the majority of your time sitting in a boardroom with stuffy CEOs.”

She leans forward and takes a sip of her drink and sighs happily. Tikki would love to have a sip but she’ll have to settle for a little bit of the cookie that Marinette has broken off for her.

Damian is sitting still and looking contemplative.

“You’re probably right,” He admits though he doesn’t seem happy about it, “my brothers and I only tend to argue and I was never good at small talk.”

She hums. “You just need some friends your own age that’s all,” Marinette smiles at him, “and look – one has mysteriously fallen into your lap.”

The poor boy is gaping at her but she won’t take no for an answer.

“Being alone is no fun and look, now you have me – give me your phone number.” Her heart is beating fast, but she won’t stop herself. He’s someone who needs help and he needs Marinette’s help – not Ladybug’s.

She remembers feeling isolated from her peers and it’s not something she ever fully recovered from despite friends like Adrien, Luka and Kagami being there for her.

College is a whole different playing field, but she can’t imagine working and studying at the same time. That would leave almost no time for the small circle of friends she’s managed to gain here, and she would be lonely most of the time.

“I don’t _need_ friends.” Damian says, looking slightly offended.

Marinette can feel her face drop.

“That’s not what I meant at all! But I could be your friend, maybe?” She trails off realising she might have messed this up.

She witnesses a serious of complex emotions flash in his eyes as she sits there consumed in embarrassment.

“I…” Damian stops, “I would like to be friends with you Marinette.” He twitches his fingers, looking flustered.

“Well that’s good, Damian,” she smiles, trying not show the relieved breath she let out, “because I had already decided you were my friend.”


End file.
